As many blog readers will recall, in May we ran a special series in honor of National Bike Month: 31 Days, 31 Reasons. A diverse collection of bicyclists from coast to coast shared their inspiration for riding — and the more than 3,000 Facebook shares proved that I wasn't the only one captivated by the personal stories.
So we're bringing back Why I Ride... with a slight twist.
Building on the...

It's cliche but true: A picture is worth a thousand words. During the debate about the next federal transportation bill, we talked up the benefits of biking until we were (red, white and) blue in the face. With your help, America Bikes wants to show Congress the freedom and joy of cycling in your community.

I still remember decorating my purple Huffy bike for our neighborhood 4th of July block party in Fair Oaks, Calif. I got that bicycle all dolled up in red, white and blue streamers and pedaled with pride down the street with my friends and my two little sisters. Sure, I loved the fireworks and the cook-out — but the best part of July 4th was riding my bike.

There's a new rider at the top of the individual leader board for the National Bike Challenge: Michael Lemuel. But who's the man behind that purple and white shield, logging a mind-boggling number of miles deep in the Kansas heartland?
Well, Michael Lemuel isn't your average cyclist (and we're not just talking about superhuman stamina). He's a disabled veteran on a limited income — $123 per month...

From America Bikes:
On Friday, Congress will vote on a new transportation bill that reverses years of progress on biking and walking policy and cuts by 60 to 70 percent funding for local safety projects such as sidewalks, crosswalks, and bike lanes.

The new transportation bill is bad for bicycling and walking. There is no dancing around the issue: the bill will result in significant cuts to available funding for bicycling and walking programs and hands even more power to state departments of transportation for the allocation of the remaining "transportation alternatives" dollars.